The present invention relates to a device for cutting various elongate materials, and more particularly a cutter, suited for example to embodiment as a hand-held and operated device for preparing the head of a cigar for smoking, or alternatively for facilitated cutting of rope, tape or other binding material to a desired length.
Cigar cutters and punches are well known in the art, and a variety of versions are widely used by cigar smokers to trim the head of a cigar, particularly those that are hand-rolled, prior to lighting. Cigar cutters are distinguished from cigar punches in that the latter devices operate to puncture or remove a demarcated punched section from the head end of a cigar, whereas cigar cutters utilize a blade-cutting action directed crosswise the length of a cigar.
Cigar cutters include, for example, the once prevalent "V" cutter, in which the head of the cigar is generally seated in a receiving chamber having an appropriately configured aperture across which a wedge-like, V-shaped blade slidably traverses, to cut out a correspondingly shaped wedge crosswise from the head of the cigar.
An alternate arrangement includes two blade members presenting concave arcuate blade edges, the blade members being mounted for overlying slidable movement with respect to one another, with the respective blade edges positioned in opposition to one another. A cigar end is placed between the opposed blade edges, and cut by urging together of the blade members which slidably overly each other.
Another type of currently popular cutter consists of a simple guillotine arrangement in which a flat blade member is mounted to a body for slidable movement with respect thereto. A blade edge, generally oriented on a bias with resect to a direction of blade travel, traverses an aperture formed in the cutter body within which the head of the cigar is receivable.
In each of the aforementioned cutters, the cutting mechanism involves a simple chopping motion, the blade edge remaining stationary with resect to a blade advancement axis. Because chopping is a mechanically inefficient blade operation, application of significant pressure is often required to effect cutting, particularly when used to prepare larger ring gauge or tightly rolled cigars. Also, once the cutting edges of the blade or blades have been significantly dulled over time, the cigar may be damaged as a result of a cut, resulting in a frayed wrapper or more significant damage to the head.
Therefore, a cutter in which a blade is drawn laterally across the object to be cut while transverse pressure is applied by a user, for example in which a novel blade transport mechanism imparts simultaneous rotation to the blade to effect a more effective slicing type operation for cutting of various materials cleanly and easily, would be highly desirable. Moreover, a cutter directed to pre-smoke cigar preparation which would allow the cutting of the head of a cigar before lighting in a manner requiring reduced user effort and less incidence of damage to the cigar, thereby maintaining structural integrity of the prepared cigar after cutting, would be highly advantageous.